GAF Anime Fans - How is male gender handled?

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GAF I'm not a big Anime guy but I have a question that for some of you more familiar in it.

How doe's Japanese Anime typically handle the role of Males compared to the west.

I have been told that males in western animation take on the typical masculine gender role where in Anime they are more submissive reflecting the female in western animation anf the female is take typical male protagonist role.

Could you guys help me understand this with some examples and the reasons why?

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"

GAF I'm not a big Anime guy but I have a question that for some of you more familiar in it.

How doe's Japanese Anime typically handle the role of Males compared to the west.

I have been told that males in western animation take on the typical masculine gender role where in Anime they are more submissive reflecting the female in western animation anf the female is take typical male protagonist role.

Could you guys help me understand this with some examples and the reasons why?

Culture Gap. It's just part of the way protaganists are handled in either culture. The entire thing you're talking about is the same argument you get in the Gaming threads about "Bald Muscular Space Marines vs. Effete 17 year old Pretty boys." It's not universal at all, but the thing you're talking about is very prevalent in both games and animation.

The Most Dangerous Yes Man

Culture Gap. It's just part of the way protaganists are handled in either culture. The entire thing you're talking about is the same argument you get in the Gaming threads about "Bald Muscular Space Marines vs. Effete 17 year old Pretty boys." It's not universal at all, but the thing you're talking about is very prevalent in both games and animation.

Anyways, if you want to talk about "culture," "feminine" looks in a male character are considered to be attractive; overtly masculine looks are usually reserved for the tired-and-true older male characters, that are generals, or retired, or w/e. Beautiful boys (bishounens) are all the rage over there?

Member

Depends entirely on the genre and audience of the show. In the harem/moe genre that caters to hopeless saps, the male leads are often indecisive and submissive. In shows aimed at female viewers, male characters are often effeminate and non-threatening. In the super robot genre, male leads are (usually) BURNING PARAGONS OF MANLY VIGOR. See also: Otokojuku, Fist of the North Star, Berserk.

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT

Depends entirely on the genre and audience of the show. In the harem/moe genre that caters to hopeless saps, the male leads are often indecisive and submissive. In shows aimed at female viewers, male characters are often effeminate and non-threatening. In the super robot genre, male leads are (usually) BURNING PARAGONS OF MANLY VIGOR. See also: Otokojuku, Fist of the North Star, Berserk.

Banned

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I have been told that males in western animation take on the typical masculine gender role where in Anime they are more submissive reflecting the female in western animation anf the female is take typical male protagonist role.

sparkle this bitch

Not necessarily. Normally they are Aggressive/Dominate or Submissive/Passive. Very little in between. They'll look effeminate which is a standard with most anime(A bit more then others), but the non threating fits more in the Harem for guys, specifically the Moe type stuff.
The stuff more aimed at females normally doesn't have a non-threating character outside of the one thats going be taken advantage of. :lol Most of the type the male leads are the strong ,silent, type or the goofy, loud, type.

This. It isn't even a Japanese thing; it's universal and part of being human. Women (some at least) love effeminate men, men like to look good for women (from their perspective). Gender-marketed shows are based on these traits.

I am Korean.

I have been told that males in western animation take on the typical masculine gender role where in Anime they are more submissive reflecting the female in western animation anf the female is take typical male protagonist role.

Could you guys help me understand this with some examples and the reasons why?

Has more to do with a broader market. Since they aim at a diverse age group, they tend to do just about everything with the gender roles. There are strong male roles, strong female roles etc.

Western animation = kiddie shows. Not actually true, but that's how the hive mind that green lights these shows tends to think. Since they think they're programming kids for society in general, men are men and women are usually replaced by juvenile sassy side kicks.

The Most Dangerous Yes Man

Member

Most anime usually portray at least one Japanese gender stereotype, as well as general Japanese culture stereotypes such as an inability to express blunt honesty or a concealment of one's full desires. There are a few types of gender roles expressed, and it typically depends on the character, but the general pervasive cultural attitudes to personal relationships are always present (except in characters who are meant not to exhibit "proper" social behavior).

how do I slip unnoticed out of a gloryhole booth?

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The Japanese recognize the female geek populace as an important market and as such create beautiful male characters in order to cater to them; America, on the other hand, is just now realizing how big of a market are they have been missing on.

Member

The Japanese recognize the fujoshi populace as an important market and as such create beautiful male characters in order to cater to their need to create yaoi fan fic/art; America, on the other hand, is just now realizing how big of a market are they have been missing on.

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"

My personal theory on why you see a lot of slender male high school students in Japanese Manga/games/etc.:

Because it's more reflective of the audience it's targeted at, which is younger Japanese men typically in various stages of school; there's a lot less differences in the builds of Japanese young men than American young men; given that the demographics in Japan are (obviously) almost universally Japanese people. Slender young men is a pretty typical archetype and I'm not aware of large masculine types being considered a particularly attractive type. I gather this is the same reason that you see so many stories which revolve around your average boring slender 17 year old who's world is unhinged by some magic event (exotic women pour into his house, gains magic powers, discovers secret society).